Paul teaches us that our true life is in heaven, despite what is apparent to us in day-to-day living. “. . even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, . .” Ephesians 2:5-6

After he states the same glorious news in Colossians 2:12-13, he goes on to apply that reality to our everyday living:

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3

As the golfer must “keep his eye on the ball,” to hit accurately, so must we keep our spiritual goal in front of us. The focus of our mind’s eye has everything to do with accomplishing our goals in life. As Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If then the eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.”

This can take enormous concentration to shut out other distractions competing for our attention. A biathlon athlete must ignore lungs that are screaming for oxygen, a rapid heartbeat that makes his trigger finger and whole body shake, and the distraction of other athletes firing around him. But to hit his target, he must ignore them and focus on the target. He even waits until between heartbeats and breaths to pull the trigger. Similarly, we must fight to keep the earthly concerns of our life in proper perspective, such as job, health, family, friends, entertainment, and hobbies.

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:13-14

Help me, Lord, to fix the eyes of my mind on my true life, which is hidden with Christ in You, putting in proper perspective the fluctuating details of my earthly existence.